Volunteers this fall will plant trees for those lost in ice storm

Jul. 11, 2013

A pedestrian carries a shovel as he walks around fallen branches along Spring Avenue in April. / Jay Pickthorn / Argus Leader

Written by

Megan Card

“Tree the Town”

What: Volunteers will be out around the city planting hundreds of trees to replace those lost during the April ice storm. When: Oct. 26 Where: Volunteers start their day at the Washington Pavilion but will be separated into groups of two or three and sent to homes in the area. Get a tree: Homeowners who want trees can register by dialing 2-1-1. Residents do not have to have lost a tree to have one planted. There is no cost to have a tree planted, and homeowners can request up to three saplings. Elderly, disabled and/or low-income residents are eligible. To volunteer: Register at www.helplinecenter.org or call 2-1-1 for more information.

Make A Difference Day

The annual volunteer event is the largest national day of community service. Aside from “Tree the Town,” which will be a main focus of the event, the day also will consist of a volunteer fair and hands-on service projects for people of all ages. The volunteer event runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 26 at the Washington Pavilion.

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Having grown up in the drought-stricken Great Plains of North Dakota in the 1930s, Rose Colello always appreciated the act of planting a tree and watching it grow.

When the April ice storm shredded eight trees at the Sioux Falls home she shares with her husband Ed, Colello said the damage was devastating. But after volunteers cleared the debris in May, Colello is ready to replant.

“I miss my beautiful maple trees,” she said.

To help residents such as Colello, Sioux Falls volunteers will be planting hundreds of trees this fall to replace those lost in the April storm.

Argus Leader Media is partnering with the Helpline Center, Sioux Empire United Way, Washington Pavilion and KELO-TV to hold a “Tree the Town” event Oct. 26.

“This fall, through volunteer power, we will work toward replacing those trees. It’s a chance to take something that was very hard for many people and create a wonderful sense of community pride,” said Janet Kittams-Lalley, executive director of the Helpline Center.

“Tree The Town” is part of a larger Make A Difference Day volunteer event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. that day at the Washington Pavilion.

Volunteers are needed to plant trees at the homes of disabled, low-income and elderly people in Sioux Falls, said Sara Carothers, Helpline Center spokeswoman.

“After the April storm, we received calls from our seniors who weren’t capable of leaving their home,” Carothers said. “Many were losing maybe their only view outside.”

Carothers estimates 500 to 1,000 trees could be planted during “Tree the Town,” but they are still working with the city and nurseries to determine the need and scope of the project.

The volunteer event is an important way to measure the quality of the community by the willingness of its residents to help each other out, said Randell Beck, Argus Leader Media president and publisher.

“Good, strong communities identify needs and they figure out ways to meet them, and Sioux Falls has a long tradition of doing that,” Beck said.

Beyond the tree planting effort, Make a Difference Day 2013 also will host a volunteer fair at the Washington Pavilion. More than 700 people attended the fair last year, which resulted in the completion of dozens of projects around the community.

Homeowners who would like a tree planted on their property can register by dialing 2-1-1. Carothers said residents do not have to have lost a tree to have one planted.

There is no cost to have a tree planted, and homeowners can request up to three saplings. Those eligible include people who are elderly, disabled and/or have little income.